Resident Evil 4- Insight
by NejisLover
Summary: Leon and Ashley struggle along their quest for survival. In a re-telling of events from the main storyline, get a fresh, new perspective of the inner turmoil these two characters truly faced. Enjoy this rendition of the game. "An ultimate desire... It was essentially all she had to blindly grasp for in this desperate escape from the darkness."
1. Chapter 1

**_"There are some parasites... that have the ability to manipulate the behavioral patterns of their host." _**_-Luis' Memo_

* * *

Mission: Las Plagas Viral Outbreak

-Retrieve Subject Ashley Graham-

Location: Spain

November, 2004

After escaping many near-misses from the crossbow shots of hooded Zealots, Leon and Ashley looked down at the aftermath of broken glass and blood stains. Helping her up, Leon took his new company's hand and led her through the dense storms of the night until she felt safe enough to travel a few feet from behind his trail. But her bravery soon faded after observing her surroundings— a black, moonless sky with blinding rain and lightning. The duo currently stood in the middle of a forest full of dead trees; their branches swung in every direction. The hums and murmurs of the undead carried on in the distance.

"Leon, I'm so scared," Ashley whimpered. Tears started streaming down from her face. "I-I've never been through something like this before, a-and…" She continued to let out a couple more sobs, and then started again. "Those people aren't people anymore. They want to kill me at any chance they get. I don't want to die here," she stammered, bringing her hands up to cover her face. Leon turned around to face her.

"I'm not gonna let that happen. I know this is all very scary for you. But try to relax the best you can. This isn't my first rodeo. I won't stop until I get you out of here, okay?" He explained, letting his hand fall on her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes. "I need you to be strong for me. I'll protect you with my life," he affirmed. "You can hold my hand again. Let's get moving." She nodded in reply.

It was about a two-hour trek on foot, but the wandering pair finally found a hidden civilization of wooden homes on their way back from the church.

Leon quickly slammed open the door of an old farmhouse and aimed his gun to the left and right. "All clear on this floor," he noted. Barring the door shut with a nearby broomstick, Leon walked further into the room and pushed a nearby bookcase in front of the entrance for an extra barricade. "Stay down here Ashley," he instructed, "I'll check upstairs."

Ashley trudged to the corner of the wall and slid her back all the way down until she sat on the floor. Her small heaves and pants slightly echoed throughout the room. She closed her eyes as she slid off her boots one by one. The rainwater that had seeped inside of them came splashing out. She wriggled her toes and stretched her body, aching with exhaustion. She almost started to get really comfortable until she heard gunshots coming from upstairs. Shock and dread overcame her as she cycled through what could be going on up there.

"Leon?!" She called out.

She heard grunts and screams from the Ganados, and Leon could be heard making an occasional shout in the distance. Loud thuds pounded against the ceiling as he took each enemy down. She wondered if she should go upstairs to see if she could help.

No. Leon told her to stay down here. She had to trust that he was alright. She would only be a liability anyway. Her fear eased as soon as she saw Leon's footsteps hustling back down.

"I wasn't too long, was I?" he comically asked, shrugging with a smirk.

"I was worried to death! Don't— don't scare me like that!" she huffed with a pout.

He chuckled. "Here. Found these upstairs," he said, holding up a thin bedsheet and pillow. "The mattress is… well, you won't want to sleep on that," he remarked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But where will you sleep?"

"Don't worry about me. I need you to get some rest, though. We need to get going in a couple hours to head to the extraction point."

"Hm. Alright." She gave him a pensive look before setting her stuff down and going to bed. "Um, goodnight Leon," she spoke with a slight yawn. He gave her a reassuring nod. As if on cue, her weary eyes immediately drifted shut.

* * *

It had been roughly six days since Ashley's capture, and in that time she hadn't eaten a single drop of food. Her stomach twinged and grumbled loudly, jolting her awake. She woke up to see the bright morning daylight, but noticed that Leon wasn't around. She immediately began to sweat, breathing heavily.

No later than a few seconds, Leon returned through the front door with a bucket full of eggs and a cast iron pan he snagged from another house. "I figured you were hungry, so I'll cook up some breakfast. It won't be your usual gourmet, though."

"Great," she breathed out with a relieved smile, "It's like you read my mind."

Leon struck a match that he pulled from his pocket. Luckily there had been a fireplace in this particular home, as none of the burners were working to his disappointment. He threw the match onto the firewood and set his pan down over it. A few minutes later he was able to make a decent plate of scrambled eggs. Walking over to Ashley's side of the room, he sat the pan down next to her and handed her a wooden spoon.

"Thank you." She hungrily began to devour her food.

"Don't mention it. Sleep well?"

"Yeah, actually. Not too bad despite being cold from the rain." She took two more bites of her eggs. "My clothes dried up overnight, though. So… you said something last night about an extraction point?"

"Yeah, a chopper should be on their way now to pick us up by the time we reach our destination."

"That's great news," she responded, putting a hand up to her chest. "How long until we start moving again?"

"About thirty minutes."

"Okay."

Silence fell between them. No Ganados could be heard outside, which was a good sign for Leon. The light from sun rays cascaded upon Ashley's face as she turned her head to speak again.

"Leon, when did you first join the task force?"

"Back in September 1998. I was 21 at the time; fresh out of the academy. Tch— even though all the training in the world couldn't have prepared me for something like this."

"Oh. That was back during the incident in Raccoon City, right?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. That must've been crazy. Could you tell me more about what happened?"

"Mhmm. The S.T.A.R.S. agency recruited me into the R.P.D. as soon as Umbrella unleashed the T-Virus on the citizens in Arklay. There was chaos, violence, and death all around me on my very first day."

'Umbrella…' Ashley thought. That was the corrupt pharmaceutical company that broke out all over the news. She tensed, but motioned for him to go on.

"It was pretty traumatic for the average person, to say the least. Bodies were piled up everywhere you went, all while frantic, mutant zombies were chasing after you. Fires broke out everywhere, and police sirens blared all throughout the streets, although our team was being swept out fast; getting smaller and smaller by the minute. I managed to somehow survive and get out of there though. I was only a clueless rookie with no idea on how to handle such an unexpected first day on the job," he looked down as he spoke.

"Oh my gosh. That's terrifying, Leon. I'm glad you made it out alive."

"Yeah. But it wasn't all that bad. I met some new faces along the way."

He thought back to Claire, Ada, and Sherry. "If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have gotten out of that mess."

Ashley concurred with a nod. "Who did you meet?"

"Long story short, two female agents with entirely different personalities. And a little girl. She… she kept me going when I thought all was lost. Even though I wasn't assigned to watch her, it was like she found me and I had to protect her. The whole ordeal inspired me to fight for the remaining innocent population who had no way of defending themselves."

"And now you're more than just a police officer, right?" Ashley inquired.

"That's right. I was promoted to a Special Tactical Agent under the President's direct orders. And that's why I was assigned to protect you," he spoke firmly. "Which is exactly what I'm going to do."

Ashley mentally scolded herself for being so childish towards him during their first encounter in the church.

"You're a hero, Leon," she told him.

He coyly shook his head in dismissal. "Just doing what I can."

Their conversation ended shortly after he heard a beeping signal from his communicator. He got up from the floor and walked away towards the other side of the room. "Hunnigan, come in. What's the news?"

_"Leon, the landing point for the chopper is too crowded with Ganados. The Los Illuminados are spreading the virus through to the villagers like wildfire. I'm setting up a new rendezvous for you,"_ his assistant replied through the receiver.

"Got it. Send me the coordinates," he said as he signaled out. "Time to go, Ashley."

They headed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Nighttime quickly fell upon them again. It had been several hours of walking for miles until they came across their next destination. A long bridge was in the distance with a merchant standing by. After adding adjustments to his shotgun and stocking up on a couple more weapons, the couple started their way onto the bridge before Leon received another report from Hunnigan. Their chopper had been shot down.

"Just my luck," he muttered after he hung up. "Looks like we've run into a detour, Ashley. Come on. We'll take some shelter for now." She nodded and took off right behind him as they walked toward a secluded two-story house.

Leon had made an unexpected encounter with his former acquaintance Luis after learning that he was hiding from an oncoming wave of Ganados. He told Ashley to hide in the closet and barely made it out alive as he and Luis battled the crazed Plagas carriers. He dispensed an array of incendiary grenades to handle the large crowds, and pulled out his knife to stab the zombie that had grabbed his arms from behind him. A long, snake-like parasite emerged from the attacker's head, reaching out and slicing Leon's face; it nearly missed his eye.

Luis left after the wave was eliminated without much of an explanation.

'I can't figure out that guy,' Leon thought. "Ashley, you're safe to come out now.

The pair moved forward in their venture.

* * *

"Ah!" Ashley yelped as a roaring Ganado villager punctured her leg with a pitchfork.

'Shit!' Leon thought, 'This is getting bad.' "Ashley, this way!" he shouted, while somersaulting out of the way from an incoming attack. He drop-kicked a female villager who rampantly tried to swing at him with a rusty kitchen knife. "Through this gate!" He ordered.

"Okay!" she replied with a couple of strained breaths.

The duo pushed open the two large, heavy doors that loomed over them. Rushing in between them, they hurried back to push the doors shut again. Ashley was pushing with all her might and almost managed to get the door shut, until a large man's hand reached out from the other side and grabbed a hold of her hair.

"Ahhh! _Leon!"_ she screamed as she frantically tried to break free. The man was now trying to strangle her with a single hand between the doors.

Leon quickly turned and shot at the assaulter's arm, nearly missing Ashley's face. The sound of the bullet whizzed past her, only centimeters away. The impact of the sound caused Ashley's ears to start ringing. The world spun around her as her vision started to blur. She stumbled forward and almost fell but Leon ran to catch a hold of her waist. "C'mon! We gotta keep moving!" he declared. He ran past the immense crowd of incoming zombies while keeping a steady hold on Ashley's frame.

He spotted a small dock with a speedboat sitting on a lake.

"Get on!" He shouted while revving up the engine. She followed his command and they zoomed away from the riotous crowd in seconds.

Minutes later they arrived to the other side of the large lake. They walked into a small barn with haystacks, piles of wooden planks, and barrels strewn around. Ashley collapsed onto a small hay pile in the middle of the ground, heavily panting.

"I know you're exhausted. We can stay here for a little while," Leon affirmed.

"Mhmm," she mustered in a reply, closing her eyes and continuing to take deep breaths.

Twenty minutes of silence followed. Leon stood in the corner by the door with his arms crossed. He was too alert to let his guard down. Ashley tried to sleep, but just couldn't with everything that had just transpired. She thought about how much longer they might be stuck in this hell. Hours felt like days. She pondered how long it might be until she could go home again… see her father again.

"I miss him," she cried. An exasperated expression crossed onto her face. Leon knew who she was talking about.

"I know," he replied.

"And I didn't even talk to him on the day I got kidnapped. I was on my way to the limousine when I got done with my classes. I was just about to call him. It all happened so fast. Just like with my mother."

'Her mother?' he thought. 'I never saw that part in the file.' He remembered reading a report of Ashley's captive file during the car ride into town. He read about the president, her last known location on campus at the University of Massachusetts, and a brief description of her physical appearance; that was it. He knew it was best not to pry, so he stayed silent in case she wished to continue.

"I was away in another town with my father while my mother was out on a business trip… In Raccoon City…" she stammered. "I was only 14. And I had a fight with her before she left. It must've been over something so dumb; I don't even remember what it was about. All I know is that she's gone now. Maybe she turned into one of those things," she concluded, shuddering slightly.

"Oh, Ash… I'm so sorry," he said while giving her a remorseful look.

She looked up at him. "Could… could you lie with me here for a while? I-I don't want to be alone," she confessed. Her big brown eyes, which were so cheerful in the profile picture, were now puffy and looked solemn.

"Sure, sweetheart," he replied, sitting down next to her. She lied down on her back and put her hands behind her head while he did the same. The ceiling of the barn had a large missing hole that showed a view of the night sky. He looked at all the stars, then looked back at her face. She was sad… longing. She didn't seem to care about the four gaping holes in her leg that were oozing blood onto the haystack. He made a mental note to get that cleaned up later.

She suddenly shivered from the cold breeze that the ceiling hole was letting through. Looking around, he found no passable item to substitute as a blanket, so he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Maybe it wasn't the most professional-looking course of action, but she needed warmth and for someone to be by her side. And in that moment, that was all he intended to do.

* * *

The next morning came, with Leon not getting a blink of sleep at all. He simply kept his eyes closed and waited for Ashley to wake up. What he didn't expect was to hear the sound of her vomiting violently beside him.

She coughed loudly and clutched her stomach. Leon immediately sat up by her side. As she coughed some more, blood spilled out onto her hands. The remnants of the vomit had traces of blood in it too.

"I'm sorry, Leon," she weakly stated.

"No, don't be. It's okay. Take some of these," he said sharing a capsule of green herbs with her.

She took it from him and ate them. "Thanks."

"Let's get you to that helicopter."

The day was long and treacherous, with several dangers presenting themselves along the way. But the hardest part was to keep moving forward. Ashley stopped walking behind him and he turned to look at her.

"I… hah, I'm sorry. I just—" she stopped abruptly to turn to the side and throw up some more.

"Shit," he quietly cursed. He took to her side and braced her arm over his shoulder, leading her up to a small abandoned shack he saw in the distance. He puller her inside and barred the door shut. "Take a few more of these," he said, handing her some more green herbs. He sat her in a nearby dining chair and walked away from her to pace around the room. If they kept making stops like this, it would only slow them down from reaching their extraction point on time. And Leon couldn't afford to lose any more time.

_Beep!_

A ring came from his communicator. He turned it on.

"_Leon_," Hunnigan started, "_What's taking so long? You're hours behind schedule_," she quipped.

"I know; it's just that we ran into some more problems along the way. Ashley's not feeling too hot. We had to stop again."

"_Damn_," she sighed. "_The chopper I sent for you had to turn back because they couldn't wait any longer_," she explained. "_How much longer do you think you'll be_?"

"No idea. A couple hours at best."

_"Alright. Sending another one your way. Keep me updated."_

"Will do," he signaled out.

Ashley, overhearing what had been said, looked down into her lap. "I caused all of this. I'm the worst," she said. Tears started to fall down from her tightly shut eyes.

He kneeled down to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't say that. You didn't choose to become infected with a virus. This was all against your will. The best thing we can do is climb our way back out of this mess, okay?" he reassured her with a small smile.

"Yeah… Okay," she smiled back. Leon somehow knew how to cheer her up with his words like magic. "Maybe you should become a therapist," she joked. They both let out a short laugh. In the next moment, a sudden pounding at the door shook them back into reality.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Ashley jumped in her seat out of fear.

Leon turned away from her and focused on the imminent threat. "Looks like we'll have to save the small talk for later," he commented. She nodded and assumed her normal position behind him. He drew his handgun out and aimed it forward. The pounding at the door finally ceased, but before long, the revving of a chainsaw started. Ashley quivered uncontrollably behind him while clutching the shirt on his back. The door swung open with a final powerful kick from a 7-foot tall Ganado. With a drawstring bag obscuring his face, the opposer swung his chainsaw wildly while letting out a roar. Leon took no time in capping three powerful bullets into its head. The saw-man didn't seem to hesitate at all by the blasts and continued to charge at him. Switching out for his sub-machine gun, Leon dashed to the side while keeping Ashley behind him and unleashed his clip until it was empty. He finished off the taller menace with a hand grenade and sprinted with Ashley out the front door.

* * *

More hours passed. Nighttime fell upon them again. After being on the run for countless miles, Leon and Ashley came upon a large slaughterhouse. He had a feeling this was the place where he'd find the key to unlock their next location.

Something in his gut warned him of a menacing evil lurking beyond the door. He definitely would not be involving Ashley in this one. After ordering her to hide nearby, he entered the quiet, musty room and prepared for the worst.

Meanwhile, Ashley did her best to keep from hyperventilating while staying put behind a well located at the side of the house. The thorns from the bushes behind her pricked her skin as she crouched between the shrubbery and the stone well's wall.

_"Muerte.. Muerte… Muerte.."_

The murmurs and whisperings of local Zealots and Ganados could be heard from just a few steps away. They passed by, but their sounds in the grew further away in the distance.

'Please hurry Leon. Please,' Ashley thought. She trembled as she heard slams and rifle shots coming from inside the building. A final blast took out a part of the side wall, catching it on fire. Leon tumbled through the crevice and she ran up to meet him. Before she could say anything he whirled in a 180 and blasted the heads of six incoming zombies with his shotgun. He motioned for her to follow him with two fingers and she kept quiet as she moved with him.

After obtaining an encoded glass eye, Leon gained access to continue forward to their pickup point. They were so close. Just a few more miles according to his map. He could even see a castle sitting far out over the mountains.

He zoned out before noticing that Ashley had tripped and fell on a bear trap.

'Thank God that didn't pierce her,' he thought with relief.

He would've shot it out of her path if he could see two feet in front of him, but that wasn't the case. He jogged over and knelt down to help her up.

"Thanks. Oh-!" She stumbled back down to her knees as her feet gave out from under her. They were sore and throbbing. She didn't know how much energy she had left in her.

Quickly responding, Leon tucked his handgun away to scoop her up in his arms. She felt too tired to protest and hoped that she wasn't too heavy.

They took refuge in a nearby one-story home. This was it, the night before extraction. Almost there.

Leon set Ashley onto the single bed and instructed her to rest. She listened.


	3. Chapter 3

Ashley awoke to the sound of sizzling. Leon stood in the kitchen cooking some fish.

"Caught these from a river; figured you'd want something different from eggs."

"That sounds wonderful, actually," she replied, patting her stomach. She was starving. "I could eat for the both of us."

He set two plates down on the dining table and they ate in relative silence. She scarfed her food at light-speed, quietly wishing for more. Wow, she really wasn't kidding.

Leon cleared his throat. "I, uh, was able to pump some water from the well in the backyard. It's in a bucket in the bathroom if you need it."

"Cool."

More silence. Ashley felt a little strange around her bodyguard when he wasn't busy fending off the bad guys. They were in a do-or-die situation, after all— it's not like they were out on a date or something.

But still, she judged that the current situation they were in needed a little friendly conversation to brighten up their day.

"So, um… Did you have any hobbies before you became a special agent? Or, like, do you have any now?" Dumb question. She regretted opening her mouth.

He'd never been asked something like that before, so he never really gave it any thought.

"I played pool at the bar with my buddies back in the training days, if that counts," he gave her with a small snicker.

"Did you guys drink together like frat boys?"

"Only shared a beer or two on occasion. I'm not much of a drinker now." He was not about to confess to her about getting completely plastered the night before his first day as a cop. Not very becoming in his position.

"And you?" he returned the question. "Are you much of a partier? You don't really strike me as the type."

"Definitely not. I'm pretty sure daddy would kill me if I even tried to cross into that territory." He inwardly winced at her choice of word for her father. "He expects me to be his perfect little princess. Perfect grades, perfect manners, etcetera. It's irritating sometimes. I just want to be myself. I wanted to find myself, by myself. That's why I went to school in another state," she huffed. He nodded while listening. "But I didn't really think it through. I went to college without a single idea of what I actually wanted to do, or become. I felt lost."

"So why not take up politics like your dad?"

"You know, being the daughter of a figure so well-known in America, that's just what everyone expects me to be; a carbon-copy of him. But... I wanted to explore other options, and live life my own way. So I took up an opportunity to sign up for a nursing program that helped me learn all sorts of things. It's like... although I wasn't born to be a fighter like you, I could still help out the people I care about in a different way. Healing wounds, medical practices; those sorts of things. And so, that's what I decided to do. Plus, some cheerleading on the side," she ended with a small giggle.

"That explains your preference for wearing skirts." He slyly remarked, pointing at the lower half of her outfit. They both exchanged a short fit of laughter.

She gave Leon a small smile as he turned his head to glance out the window. The overcast sky gave him a bittersweet feeling. At least they would have the advantage of daylight to be able to see in front of them, but the fog and incoming dark grey clouds symbolized the further doom lying ahead.

"We should probably start heading out in the next hour or so, before-" Stopping mid-sentence, Leon experienced a gnawing, sharp pain simultaneously stabbing at his head and chest. "_Nggh! Agh!_" Clutching at his heart, he sank forward from the chair to his knees, groaning loudly as his forehead hit the floor.

"Leon! Are you alright?" Ashley immediately asked, rushing to his side. "Oh God, you're running a really high fever!" she cried while holding a hand to his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he managed to get out, while slowly retreating back to his feet. Whatever was wrong with him, it was no joke.

"Lie down on the bed! I'll go get some water," she spoke. Not wanting to waste the effort in arguing with her, he drew in a slow breath and did as he was told. No point in trying to change the mind of stubborn little Ashley. Heh. That had a nice ring to it.

By the time he closed his eyes and sank into the pillow, she had already returned from the bathroom with the same bucket of water he pumped from earlier that morning. Setting that down, she turned back and went to the green cupboard across the room in search for a glass. All she could find was a wooden, darkly-stained beer mug to suffice. She made quick work in ripping off the side of the beige tablecloth that hung on the dining table behind her. Returning with her items, she soaked the makeshift cloth in the water and wrung out the liquid before setting it on Leon's forehead. Then she scooped up some water with her mug and instructed him to drink. He did so.

"I wish there was more I could do," she whispered while looking down into her lap. She started folding her hands.

"Hey, don't feel bad," Leon said. "I'm already feeling better each passing second." Which was true. "Thanks, hon."

"I don't deserve your thanks. I owe you my life and yet I'm still acting like a spoiled brat. My hormones have been driving me crazy lately. I'm sorry I've been so moody towards you. Sometimes I feel like I can't control it. It's only getting worse," she finished, in a slight state of panic.

"It's fine. I don't take it personal. It's only another part of my job," he reassured her. He gave her a small smirk.

"Is it alright if I get cleaned up before we go?"

"Sure. I'll keep a lookout for a while. Then we can move."

"Right. Okay."

Ashley took the bucket and made her way back into the bathroom. First, she pulled off her boots, noticing how blistered and red her feet were. She frowned. Then she stripped off all her clothes, grimacing at how much dirt and grime they were actually covered in.

"These are going to need a little work," she muttered, putting her hands on her hips.

Rummaging through the medicine cabinet above the sink, she found a small, shriveled up ball of brown soap. Next to that was a loose roll of bandages. She looked down at the wound on her right upper-leg. 'Leon cleaned this a little earlier,' she thought, 'But the wound is still very much open. Time to wrap it up.'

And with that, she got straight to work. After wrapping the strands around her thigh several times, she tightened the two ends into a knot and verbally affirmed her approval. She took the soap and dunked it in the water several times, scrubbing away at the caked matter that stained up her clothes. She poured half the bucket-water over her clothes and let the blood and dirt seep into the bathtub drain. She squeezed each clothing article of the remaining water and hung them over the rim of the tub to dry.

Working on herself next, she scooped handfuls of water all over her body. She took the small ounce of remaining soap and scrubbed it all over. It disintegrated into nothing. Not having enough to wash her hair, she sighed as she scrubbed her scalp with more water, combing through her short blonde locks with her fingernails. That would have to do for now.

She stood up from her kneeling position on the tile floor and turned to start putting on her clothes. Though, she stopped when she heard a slight rattling.

_Crash!_

"_Ahhh!"_ She shrieked when glass flew everywhere from the newly shattered window.

Leon quickly arose from bed and busted through the door to see what was going on. A Ganado villager had broken in through the window after spotting her and was trying to strangle her. It was a gruff, middle-aged man, holding Ashley from behind while she struggled to grasp his hands from her throat.

"_Kyah_!" Leon let out a hefty shout as he sent a roundhouse kick square into the villager's face. The deranged man stammered back. Ashley broke free from the man's demented grip and ran to the other side of the bathroom, crouching.

Leon wasn't quite done with their new guest yet. Grabbing him by the collar, Leon yanked the man forward and delivered a powerful straight punch to his nose. "_Auugh_!" The man bellowed as he staggered back again.

Leon whipped his arm out and grabbed the man roughly, knocking him onto the floor. Bangs in his face, his hair flew back and forth as he held down and punched the intruding man, landing blow after blow. The zombie was long dead by now, face unrecognizable, but Leon didn't care. He was blinded by rage. He used his right arm to continuously barrage the man with punch after punch.

Ashley was bearing witness to the entire scene, and she couldn't take it anymore. As thankful as she was for Leon's rescue, she had to admit that she was scared. Seeing him like this… It was just so unnaturally out of his character. It made a sense of dread flow over her.

"Leon, stop!" she cried. "It's okay now! I'm okay! I'm alright— see? It's over!" she reasoned but to no avail. She mustered up the courage to run over to him and place a hand on his shoulder. "Please, Leon. Please," she whimpered, mouth quivering.

Leon was brought back down to earth by her touch. His adrenaline levels lowered and he turned from his crouching position to face her. Looking into her eyes, he stood up and brought a hand out to pull her into a firm embrace. Her soaked, naked body pressed up tightly against his. Her breasts pushed all the way into his upper torso, soaking his shirt. He was well aware of this— _very_ well aware— but still maintained his composure. Ashley sunk her face into his chest, sobbing about the aftermath of the whole ordeal. He stood there quietly, closing his eyes and holding the back of her head.

* * *

In the same day, they had managed to get to a castle. It wasn't planned, as he had told Hunnigan, but it was necessary in order to separate themselves from an impossibly large crowd of zombies. From the looks of things, nothing was going according to plan. His communicator got intercepted by an interfering signal and he had no way of contacting Hunnigan back. To make matters worse, a weird and demented Ramòn Salazar made his introduction, revealing that they had both indeed been injected with the Las Plagas virus whilst unconscious. Leon already knew they were both infected from the moment they started showing symptoms, but it was good to get some clarity on how it even happened.

'Well, that about explains everything,' Leon thought, after the bizarre Salazar character made his leave.

It's no wonder they were deviating from their normal selves.

Walking further into the castle, Leon told Ashley to hide under the bed behind him before he unloaded his shotgun shells into multiple hooded cultists. He found a key to an underground prison cell and battled a giant, mutant freak with talons as sharp as katana blades. Using his wits and master reflexes, he was able to dodge each swing just in time before taking the monster out.

'No way in hell Ashley would've been sane after seeing that guy,' he thought. After calling her over, they made their way further into the endless castle.

The monsters weren't what scared Leon. No. They didn't faze him. Having to make sure Ashley stayed in one piece is what ate him alive. And it didn't help when she carelessly pushed him away and ran into a trap wall, separating herself from him indefinitely. He confidently called out to her in case she could hear him, but nearly had a heart attack on the inside.

"Holy fuck. I'm screwed."

* * *

Leon stood on a terrace overlooking a garden maze.

'Stay calm, man,' he inwardly thought. 'Ashley's a smart girl. She can find her way out of this. I know it.'

He had to admit that he was a little hurt by her sudden outburst at him, but he knew it was only another psychological side-effect of the virus. Leon learned that she was actually a very sweet girl underneath her somewhat bratty exterior. He had gotten to see that side of her already in all the conversations they had.

"They might hurt her, but they won't kill her. Saddler wants her alive," he said aloud to himself.

"You sure about that?" A sultry voice asked from behind.

Looking to the source, he faced the familiar Ada Wong and prepared for an incoming attack. Cutting their tango short, Leon disarmed her and questioned why she was even there in the first place. But still mysterious and elusive as ever, Ada left as quickly as she came. Oh well. As long as she didn't interfere with his plan to save Ashley, he figured getting answers from her would just have to come at a later time.

Leon progressed forward.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a tremendously long and tiring journey, but he finally did it. He found Ashley again.

Four hours of running later, he found her still attached to the same wall from before. She was calling out for his name from the story below. Before he could let her know he was there, he was intercepted by Luis, who met his unfortunate fate. Leon tried shooting a couple rounds at Luis' killer out of revenge, but the Los Illuminados leader simply laughed as the bullets gently grazed out of his skin. Saddler fled, but not before revealing a sinister smile, and Leon was more than pissed. But he knew he had to focus on Ashley now.

He looked over the broken balcony's edge and shot her restraints free. He was just glad to see that she wasn't physically hurt.

Loads of hooded Zealots came running through the perimeter's doors and were headed her way. He covered her from above and she was able to get out. He would have come down to get her himself, but every path he checked was locked with no key in sight. It all depended on her. Now it was just the waiting game.

A nearby clock ticked on the wall.

Every second that passed felt agonizing. He couldn't stop racking through possibilities of what could be happening to her no matter how hard he tried.

"Damn it!" he angrily shouted as he punched the wall. He scrunched his brows together in frustration and closed his eyes.

"Leon!"

He heard the excited call of his name and whirled around to catch Ashley in his arms. Wasting no time, he held her hand and led her to another area of the castle. Walking through a long, dimly lit hallway, he passed through a corridor and found an open bedroom. Leon brought her into it and set her down on the couch. He walked back to the door to close it and click the lock shut.

"You have no idea how stupid I feel right now," Ashley stated, swinging her legs back and forth. "I should not have put you through that. I'm so sorry. And I know that sorry isn't enough," she conveyed.

"Hey. No more apologizing, okay? You didn't mean to act out. It's all good," he assured.

"How can you say that when I've literally been the worst person to you? I… I just don't get it. I don't deserve you," she whined while rubbing her arms.

More tears. He hated seeing her tears.

Walking over, he sat down next to her and wiped her face.

"You deserve the world, Ashley. C'mere." He pulled her in for a caring embrace. She leaned into him and relished in his warmth. She exhaled a deep, long breath, fluttering her eyelids closed. He looked ahead at the opposite wall from them, fixating his stare on the porcelain vase sitting atop the mahogany counter.

Ashley couldn't exactly describe it, but she suddenly felt really good. His words put her on cloud nine— she already concluded that— but his touch made her feel so at peace. She wanted more. She craved for him to touch her more so that she could continue feeling this way. It was essentially all she had to blindly grasp for in this desperate escape from the darkness.

The candelabra and oil candles on the table were still lit, and when she opened her eyes again, she noticed the way the soft beams caressed his face.

She wanted to do the same.

Reaching out with a slow hand, she stroked his left cheek curiously, almost lovingly. He stifled a breath and turned his head to look at her. He couldn't tell what she was thinking at all, and he was a little afraid. He looked into Ashley's eyes for any hint of what she was feeling, but was only able to see that she looked dreary, as if in a haze.

She drew closer to Leon's face, hand moving up to stroke his hair, waiting for a reaction. The truth was that he couldn't react… Only watch. He felt too weak to push her away despite knowing that was what he should do.

She had never kissed anyone before. But something in her heart…Desperation? Loneliness? Endorphins? She didn't know… but something made her chest pound like a firework. An ultimate desire. She licked her lips to soften them and placed a small kiss. It was delicate and slow— careful, even.

"Ashley," he breathed out, not knowing how long he had held his breath. He was frozen.

She waited for another response. Anticipated it, even. She was ready for him to back out, gently push her away, and tell her that what they were doing was wrong. But he didn't. And he didn't know why. He was numb and magnetized to her full attention. So she went in again, going much firmer this time. She moaned slightly as she pressed him against her mouth. She leaned onto his body, placed a hand on his muscular chest, and softly bit his lower lip. This drove him crazy.

He finally took the initiative in responding to her messages by firmly kissing her back. He slowly moved his left hand to her lower back to hold her in place. His right hand cupped her face, and while still kissing her, he leaned all the way back onto the arm of the velvet couch. Ashley knelt forward and placed soft little pecks on his neck. She moved until she fully was on top of him, with Leon's right leg bent at an angle so that both of her thighs were fully straddling him. Her genital area was softly sitting on his thigh, the warmth of her cushiony organ seeping through her panties. The sensation was too much for Leon to bear.

"Ash…Ashley…Mmm…," he hopelessly called out to her, hoping she would listen to him in an attempt to get her to stop. "Ashley, I…Mmph..." He couldn't finish. He didn't even know what to try to say at that point. She lightly licked at his lips and that made his hold on her body even tighter.

Ashley felt selfish in a way; like she was taking advantage of his kindness. Her conscience wouldn't let her ignore that. But a part of her didn't care. Leon was really attractive right now. He always was, but she didn't come to truly recognize it before. He was her rescuer, and he had proved time and time again that he would die for her. His smile gave her hope and his words made her swoon. His lean form perfectly paired with his ethereal, god-like face. She dared to lift her lips from Leon's to look back into his icy-colored eyes.

Now he was in a haze, too.

He snapped back from it briefly when he felt her hand go to the buckle of his pants. "We can't," he warned, grabbing a hold of her wrist.

"Can't what?"

"Do this."

"Why not?"

Damn. She just had to make this more difficult.

"I don't w—… I can't hurt you."

"You won't hurt me, it's okay."

"No, Ash, I mean I don't want to lose control…and do something that I'll regret."

"Please?" she asked. She was already moving her face all the way down to his crotch. She slowly unbuckled his belt… Pulled down his zipper…

"Ashley…"

By the time he uttered her name she had both hands on the rim of his underwear.

"Please, Leon?" She innocently looked up at him. Her mouth was so close to his groin.

So fucking close.

As she was looking him in the eye, she slid the boxers down… down… down… she slowly and deliberately made it so that he kept his gaze on her eyes the whole time. Hypnotic.

His exposed erection prompted her to lick at the tip.

"Shit!" He hissed.

A few more licks was all it took for his precum to start dribbling out. His dick was throbbing.

She started a rhythmic sucking of his venous member, bobbing up and down, moaning intermittently as she did so. It took all his willpower not to shove himself down her throat right then and there.

"Goddamn," he groaned, as she added a hand to assist with massaging him. Her nipples started to poke out from her orange knit top. A peachy blush adorned her cheeks as she continued to slurp him. In a bold move, she swirled her tongue around his entire circumference and took him deeper.

That was his limit.

Roughly grabbing her shoulders, he hoisted her up and pushed her smaller frame backwards into the couch cushions. He shoved his tongue into her mouth and devoured her fiercely. The swift agent slid his hands from her waist to her outer thighs, snaking them up her skirt. She moved her hands from his neck to slide down her panties. While sucking on her upper lip, Leon moved his middle and index fingers onto her glistening entrance, rubbing it up and down. Her hips grinded against him at the sensational feel, beckoning for more. She pushed his gloved hand further into her, coating his fingers with her milky and creamy arousal.

Pushing her pleated skirt all the way up, Leon took his pulsating shaft and held it at her entrance. He slid into her.

"Mmhn," she sighed. She was in ecstasy. He growled as he felt resistance from her plump fold's lips. Her tightening walls clamped around him; she squealed as she felt his large and hard pressure invading her. Her fluids were a warm welcome to his cock, allowing him to begin bucking in and out of her.

"Oh, _God!_" she screamed. He picked up his pace. Growling into her left ear, he used every ounce of strength he had to completely pound into her.

"Gh-! Ah, hah, _mmnh_!" She squeezed her eyelids tight.

Allowing himself to feel this good felt like a sin to Leon. His vision and surroundings became a total, dark blur. His rationality dissipated. Unbeknownst to him, his irises flashed from a burnt orange color to a deep, rich red. Ashley took notice of the strange manner when she briefly opened her eyes to look at him again. Her concern mildly lingered at the back of her head, but giving in to her newfound bliss again, she had never felt so high. Her eyes rolled back as she shrieked from an intense orgasm.

Leon brought his face down to lick the skin at her jawline and beside her ear. She smelled like jasmine and sandalwood from the soap she used earlier. He let out a low snarl as he began to bite her neck. Hard.

She let out a yelp. His teeth felt unnaturally sharp. But she grew to tolerate and even like the pain. It felt invigorating to her. She didn't notice fresh blood trickle down her neck, nor was he aware of his own doing.

Pumping faster and faster, Leon threw his head down in frustration. He wanted to release inside of her. But even after everything, his good morals came back to battle with his inner desires and ultimately won. Giving one last good pump into her walls, he pulled out, retreated from the couch, and dashed to the nearby bathroom.

Ashley, still feeling a lingering hold from her waving orgasm, simply laid there.

Leon slammed open the bathroom door, flickered on the lights, and moved to stand in front of the toilet. He took out his shaft from his already unzipped pants and jerked it violently. Grunting, he thought of one final image of a raunchy and exposed Ashley before yelling out in resignation. His cum sprang out of his cock like bullets, shooting onto the open lid of the toilet seat. He was haggard and spent due to his heavy activity. He rolled his head back to look at the ceiling and let out a shaky exhale, bangs moving to cover half of his face. What the fuck just happened?

This was one hell of a day.


	5. Chapter 5

It was 3:00 AM. Leon hadn't budged from the dark-crimson ottoman next to where Ashley slept. He was exhausted in more ways than one. His eyes traveled down from her peaceful resting face to the punctured, purplish bite mark on her neck.

'There's no way I'll ever do that again,' he mentally vowed to himself.

How had he allowed things to go that far? In retrospect, it should've been so simple— talk to Ashley, let her off easy, and stay focused on the task. But things could not have turned out more differently.

He hung his head in between his hands, playing out different scenarios through his head. Was he just going to bring Ashley back to America and pretend like nothing happened? It was tempting. It wasn't like he could just go: "Hey President Graham; here's your daughter back— but just to let you know, I fucked her."

He felt… dirty.

Ashley stirred in her sleep, breaking into a cold sweat. She felt tremors of chills. Blinking her eyes open, she looked up at Leon's distressed expression. Sitting up, she continued to study him. "Leon…"

He glanced at her with a forlorn, empty stare. He said nothing.

She shivered and coughed violently. He instantly snapped from his thoughts and approached her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Um… Just a little queasy, but I'm fine."

"Hm. Alright."

He started pondering on how to go about his next plan. Remembering how they got separated before, he definitely wanted to try avoiding that from happening again. An idea sparked in his mind.

"We can't have you in a position where you're completely defenseless if I'm not around. Here, come stand next to me."

Doing as she was told, Leon slid a small gun from the side of his holster and handed it to her. "I didn't exactly want to resort to this, but just for your sake, I'll show you a couple of pointers," he concluded. She nodded.

She held the weapon in her hand with a puzzled look.

"This gun has a laser-sight on it, so it'll be much easier to aim at your target," he said. Coming behind her, he guided her hands up to point forward.

"When you're ready to shoot, you're gonna take this top area right here, the slide, and shift it back," he demonstrated, using his hands to move hers.

"Keep a firm hold of the grip. Only when you're truly ready to fire, press your finger over the trigger."

"Mhmm," she replied.

"Try aiming at one of those vases over there."

She pointed at her target. Hesitating, she looked back up at Leon. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yep. Go for it."

"Okay."

_Pop! _The gunshot blazed across the room into the marbled glass.

"I did it, Leon!"

"You sure did. 'Lemme show you one more thing," he told her, lowering the gun and twisting it around. "See this button right there? Press it when you're out of ammo. The used magazine will slide out," he explained, showing her. "Then take a new set of rounds and slide it in." He pulled a new cartridge from his pocket and demonstrated the matter.

"Okay. Easy enough," she replied.

"Keep this," he advised, handing the gun back to her. She tucked it downwards through her belt.

"Let's go."

* * *

The surviving pair journeyed for miles. They made it all the way to the entrance of another neighboring castle. Circumstances had been going fairly well along their trek until Ashley suddenly got swooped up by a human-sized insect.

"No!" Leon shouted, watching as she was dragged away. It was too risky to shoot at the monstrous bug without hitting her also. There was nothing he could do.

In a fit of anger, he pulled out his mine-thrower and fired away at the remaining Novistadors. A sequence of violent explosions carried on around him. Guts and slimy remains splattered all over, tacking onto his skin.

This was too much. He had just gotten Ashley back. The notion that she could be dead or getting tortured right now made him sick. This can't have been all for nothing.

The world suddenly spun around him, morphing into a blur. His body temperature greatly increased, and his limbs started shaking. He was livid. Unable to think straight, he mindlessly pushed himself forward, opening the doors to the next area of the unknown.

Landing a headshot on every single incoming enemy, Leon blazed his way through the path he'd seen Ashley be taken to. He didn't care about conserving ammo at this point— as long as he could save her again. The number of opponents in his way grew more by the minute; it seemed that the Los Illuminados were throwing everything they had at him. He didn't care.

His eyes burned from straining, his muscles ached from melee combat, and a draining fatigue began to settle in more than it had ever before. He sweated immensely and wore bloody, stinging gashes all over his body. To say he was worn out was an understatement.

* * *

He never thought he would find her again, but miraculously, he did. She was in the clutches of Salazar's minions, with the aforementioned lunatic cackling in his seat with thunderous laughter.

"Ashley!" Leon shouted.

"Leon…"

The young girl was kneeling at the blades of her captors. There was no smooth way of retrieving her without putting her in more danger; if he fired a shot, they might hurt her.

"Salazar, if you so much as scratch her, I swear…"

"You'll what?"

"Ugh, just let her go!" he demanded.

"Oh, but I have a better idea. How about I just let _you_ go instead?!"

The short man yanked a lever, maniacally laughing. Leon felt the ground release from below him. He sank below the floor fast. But his reflexes were lighting-quick. Just in time, Leon was able to hoist a grapple to a ledge and break his fall. He lowered himself down into a dark pit of catacombs.

'What the hell…? Creepy,' Leon thought.

Dead bodies and bones lay scattered around; some old and some new. The cave walls were damp, and a moldy, dense draft lingered in the air.

Although Leon was in a deeper predicament and even further from succeeding in his mission, he still felt a sense of relief. Ashley was okay. It's a good thing Saddler wanted to keep her alive, even if not for the right reasons.

"Ashley. Just hang on."

* * *

As he was zipping his way through hundreds of infected cultists, Leon climbed from the bottom to the very top floor of the castle. It wasn't an easy feat. Hooded parasite carriers used everything in their arsenal to stop him including spiked ball-chains and scythes. Their army seemed endless. No matter how much their numbers multiplied, however, Leon didn't back down. He came way too far to die.

Walking into a grand room, he faced Salazar, who let him know of Ashley being taken to an island. That was all Leon needed to hear; he was ready to walk past this guy and get the hell out of there. Leon wanted to be spared of having to fight him, but after Salazar revealed his gigantic true form, he was completely blocked off from the exit. There was no getting past this battle.

Leon didn't want to waste time fucking around, so he pulled out his powerhouse of choice, the Broken Butterfly. Utilizing all his rounds, the giant monster was finally put down.

Shortly after leaving to go outside, he was surprised to see Ada conveniently sitting in the only speedboat in sight.

'Wait, how did she find me?'

It was far too much of a coincidence to happen to run into her twice in a row, especially with the transportation he needed to get to the island.

"Need a ride, handsome?"

He joined her reluctantly and didn't exchange any words on the way there. There was something about that woman that managed to captivate, confuse, and frustrate him all at once. Ada never made it truly clear if she was on Leon's side. But if that was the case, why was she helping him now? Knowing her, she always had an ulterior motive.

Bidding goodbye, she fled out of sight and left him with his whirlpool of thoughts. He steered the boat to shore.

"_Help!" _He heard in the distance.

"Ashley!" He gasped. He sprinted through the hills of the terrain, sighting a building with a searchlight. "She's in there."

The new crowd of zombies seemed to have a wider array of weapons to throw at him— including sticks of dynamite— but the skilled agent was able to dodge and maneuver his way through. He entered the building at a faster rate than he thought he would, but that was mostly due to adrenaline.

* * *

The inside of the abandoned database was quiet, with flickering of the fluorescent lighting bouncing off the dusty walls. Nothing seemed to jump out at him yet. He grew suspicious.

Out of nowhere, a raspy, guttural wheezing audibly sounded from behind him.

_"Hngh,hungh,hnnngh…"_

Leon turned around to see a pale, 8-foot tall walking demon heading towards him. The thing had red, bright eyes, accompanying jagged teeth that stretched it's mouth all the way to the outer sides of its face.

Leon grabbed a hand grenade from his pocket and chucked it in the monsters direction. The explosion took off both of its arms, but the monster barely budged. In two seconds flat, the terrifying thing had grown both of its limbs back. Leon pulled out his shotgun and aimed for a headshot at close proximity, which also had no effect on the supernatural being. This enemy was definitely the toughest one yet.

'I better run,' he confirmed, 'This is trouble.'

Walking into an x-ray room, he finds a keycard. Next to it was a scribbled handwritten note. Looking closer, he read the signed name.

"Luis…"

He closed his eyes in remembrance of his departed partner.

The letter basically described the anatomy of the creature that Leon had just come across. Luis supposedly nicknamed them as Regenerators. A fitting name for a bunch of mutants. They were still a tricky group to beat, but after locating an infrared scope, Leon was able to pinpoint the weak spots of each individual.

The door creaked as Leon unlocked another entrance.

"Leon!"

Ashley's shout echoed through an empty hallway. Turning a corner, Leon located the source of Ashley's voice.

"Oh thank God! Leon, you're here!" She squealed.

He slid the keycard and unlocked the cell she was standing in.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yes!" She ran up to him and squeezed his torso in a tight hug.

"Did anyone give you trouble?"

"Well, the guards who brought me here were a little rough in handling me, but they didn't hurt me. So I decided not to use my gun."

"That's alright. Only use it when you need it as a last resort. I'd rather you try to escape from a bad situation first. But if you can't run, then fight."

"Mm." She firmly nodded.

"We're moving on. There's no time to lose."

Running up to the edge of a cliff, Leon and Ashley came across a deep abyss. Even though she protested, he grabbed her hand and launched themselves into the dark unknown.

* * *

"Ugh, Leon! You nearly gave me a heart attack! I really didn't appreciate that," Ashley scolded as they ran forward.

Hearing harsh stomping, Leon turned around to see a darker-colored Regenerator shuffling in their direction. The horrid creature donned twitching spikes all over its body. He stopped to fire a couple shots.

"Hide!" Leon ordered his partner.

Ashley whirled around to get a look at who Leon was shooting at. As her eyes fell upon the evil figure, she grew weak in the knees, frozen. Her breath hitched as she continued to watch it haul towards her.

"Go, now! Hurry!" Leon persisted.

Running to the nearest human-sized metal container, she jumped inside and slammed the top shut, pulling her legs close.

Leon blasted each revealed parasite that showed in the thermal scope of his rifle, but he could see that there were more on the monster's back. How was he going to move around to get a clear shot from behind?

His thoughts were suddenly cut short as the hideous monster stretched out its arms and latched onto his body. Leon struggled to break free, but spikes were impaling him from all over. The Regenerator opened its jaws wide and implanted several rows of sharp teeth into his neck.

"Ergh! Agh!" Leon's shouts of struggle could be heard from where Ashley hid.

"He's in danger!" She cried aloud.

Pushing herself out of the container, Ashley leaped onto the surface they were fighting on. She spotted a red gasoline barrel standing directly behind the monster. Drawing her handgun, she pointed the laser so that she saw a clear shot. She squinted an eye shut and fired.

The explosion of fire grazed the monsters back as it let out a final cry before combusting into splattered remains.

She collapsed forward and placed her hands on her knees. She looked up to see Leon's expression of shock.

"Ashley, that was dangerous! You could've gotten hurt!"

She dejectedly looked down at the ground.

"But, you did a really good job. Thanks for saving me," he finished. She looked back up with a smile.

* * *

Leon and Ashley were in a security room. Next to several monitors playing tapes, there was a radio sounding off a broken signal.

Grabbing the receiver, Leon held his mouth to it. "This is Leon. Mayday. Request for evacuation."

No response came through. He tried again.

"Agent Kennedy reporting in. Send a rescue squad immediately."

The static from the line went flat.

"Damn!" He shouted, banging his fists on the table. "So much for that." He took a seat on a foldable chair.

Ashley came to him, studying huge bite marks that covered his neck. Blood trickled everywhere.

"You're bleeding out fast," she pointed out. "Here," she said, pulling out bandages from her bra. "Let's get this cleaned up."

"That's really not necessary. I'll be fine," he assured.

"Nuh-uh. No way, Leon." She waved a finger. "We can't just have you bleed to death. Hold still."

Tucked in her skirt was a pile of multicolored herbs. "I grabbed these on the way to the island." She took the leaves and chewed them to grind them up. Taking a handful, she smoothed the mixture onto his neck. He winced slightly at the painful contact but eased into relaxation. She stood over him, working quietly, looking determined. He admired her resolve and resourcefulness. She was starting to think like a true survivor.

Studying her, he looked into her eyes that were focused on the task. Lingering his view down, her "ballistics" roundly accentuated her displayed chest, which had only been a few inches away from him. Being a man of integrity (but still a curious man nonetheless), he quickly shifted his view away from the mild distraction. Then he noticed that the rolled bandages that she used to sport on her upper leg were gone. When had she taken that off?

"How's your leg?" He asked, wondering. He checked around her to look for the wound, but couldn't find it anywhere.

"It's actually completely gone. But stop worrying about me," she said, taking another look at his neck and wincing.

He chuckled at her stubbornness. "It's kinda my job to worry about you."

She shook her head in dismissal. "I need to get you taken care of."

Wrapping the bandages a few times around his neck, she grinned, satisfied with her work. "So where's our next place, Leon?"

"I don't really know. I've just been winging it, to be honest. It's working in our favor, so far. Sort of." He shrugged. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

A few enemies got in their way, but Leon and Ashley made fairly good progress. Ashley had even insisted on letting her drive a bulldozer they discovered, so that they could move on to the next place more easily. All had been going well until…Osmund Saddler.

Leon knew the man would be waiting to meet with them sooner or later, but not this early on.

After an exchange of witty banters, Saddler pulled a sly move. Beckoning for Ashley to come forward, she instantly followed the elder man's command from the influence of the Las Plagas parasite. Meanwhile, Leon writhed on the floor in excruciating pain as he was controlled like a string of puppets.

The paralyzing hold Saddler had on him was too strong.

"Ashley," he strained. It was hopeless. In the next moment, they were gone.

* * *

Leon awoke from the stupor he was placed in and got up to run out the same door they left; he hoped to still be able to run into them.

Wandering into a cold metal facility, he looked around. No one was in sight. Hearing a sudden whipping sound, he quickly turned to avoid an incoming aerial attack.

Landing firmly on the ground, a familiar old face looked up to reveal himself: Jack Krauser.

"Krauser? I don't get it. I thought you— "

"You thought I died two years ago in an accident. Is that what they told you?" His bulky rival rolled his neck around as he flexed his muscles.

"Why are you after me? I thought we were allies." Something told Leon from the moment he was attacked that Krauser and Saddler were working together.

"Things change. It's simple, really. I needed to obtain a strain of the virus. One for myself, one for Wesker."

"So you're with Umbrella now. After everything we've been through? You're a traitor," Leon hissed.

"Just doing what's best for the world."

What was that supposed to mean?

"And knowing you would get in my way, I gladly accepted the order to take you down," Krauser finished.

"I thought you only took orders from Saddler."

"I am, but not for long."

So Leon's suspicion was right.

"He's losing his trust in me, so I had to lie low for a while. I was still able to get a sample from him, though."

"How?"

"From the deal I made to do his dirty work."

"You mean stealing Ashley."

"Bingo. We've got a winner."

"You got her involved just for _that_?" Lurching forward, Leon ran to attack him with his knife.

_Shing, shing!_

The scraping sounds of their clashing knives carried on through the air. Stepping backward and forward, they each took a turn lunging at each other with their pointed blades.

Leon didn't understand. How could his former friend endanger such an innocent girl? They used to put their trust in each other all the time. Now, all the angered mercenary could feel was a stinging sense of betrayal.

Motioning into a backflip, the buffer combatant landed and slowly stood, forming a frown.

"You don't seem to be in the best mood today."

"Quit playing around! The President's daughter is dying as we speak, no thanks to you! Feels like I shouldn't even bother asking how you managed to capture her," he said with an exasperated sigh.

"It actually went much better than I thought," Krauser explained. "Who knew disguising as a Secret Serviceman would be so easy? I kicked a real guard's ass and waited for her by the limo. She barely detected it was me."

Leon listened on.

"So I held a special little elixir over her face. It knocked her out cold— just long enough for me to bring her here and gain Saddler's attention...Plus, a little action on the side never hurt anyone. Her cunt was so goddamn tight. She probably didn't feel a thing. Too bad."

Wait. _What _did he just say?

No.

It all dawned on him.

He should've seen it before. The morning sweat and chills. The puking. The food. The agitated moods.

What the hell was he going to tell Ashley? That she was pregnant with Krauser's child? Or worse, that she might be infected with Krauser's parasite-infested, mutated DNA?

"Haaah!" Leon sprinted towards him at high speed and landed a stab two inches from his heart. Krauser countered with a reverse roundabout kick. Landing on top of him, the bigger man used his physicality to his advantage. Pinning him down, he yanked his knife down towards Leon's heart. Leon did his best to resist the struggle. The knife was suddenly shot out of Krauser's hands and flew down to the first floor.

Ada Wong stood above. Leon would have to thank her later. With a sly smirk, the sauntering woman jumped down to them. "So much for teaming up," Krauser spat to her. He quickly recovered and dramatically made his leave.

Ada looked down at Leon. "You alright?"

"Yeah. You have some explaining to do, though. Start talking."

"Hmm. Maybe some other time," she replied, waving her gun as she left.

"Ada!"

He stopped. There was no time to think about her. Hearing about what was done to Ashley absolutely mortified him to his core, and he slowly began to lose hope that he would ever make it out.


	6. Chapter 6

After hurrying outside, Leon received an incoming transmission from his receiver.

"Goddammit Saddler, bring Ashley back, now!" He barked out.

With a resounding laugh, Saddler mocked him. "Awwwh, how precious. You think your demands will work although it's futile. Don't worry; I have great plans for you. 'It' should be waiting nearby to give you a nice invitation," he sarcastically sneered.

Two seconds later, a giant figure came barreling out from behind the cave walls. The creature chased Leon and attempted to incapacitate him with its head blades. Tentacles sprouted everywhere from its face and arms. It hungrily growled as it stared Leon down. Finding a path of red barrels, Leon lured the monster over and fired shots to create several explosions. The monster wailed.

'So this guy's helpless against fire…'

Accompanying the attack, he threw out several incendiary grenades. This seemed to keep the monster at bay, exposing the weak area hovering over its torso. Finishing the job, Leon walked off as the flailing beast combusted.

* * *

Leon came across an underground path that wove through the outskirts of a village. Climbing his way up a ladder, he saw that he was back outdoors.

A path of pillars with hanging torches led to a secluded set of deteriorated slab buildings. He prayed that his search for his captive target wouldn't delay for any longer.

"Ashley…" He lingered.

In the next instant, a whirlwind of whizzing bullets flew in his direction. He rolled to dodge and take cover. He fired a couple shots back with his pistol backward at point blank.

"That won't do you any good, Leon," Krauser called.

Leon made his way to a nearby structure and stood his ground. He pulled out his rifle from the corner of the building and aimed for Krauser's head. In the next second though, Krauser was gone.

"Right here."

Krauser stood behind him and launched a kick at Leon's back with superhuman speed. Leon hit into the wall. Feeling like a gust of wind knocked out of him, he shuffled back to his feet and stood in a defensive stance.

"So what's your next move, Comrade?" Krauser used that special title to tick him off. "Seems like you're running out of ideas," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Think again," Leon returned. Aiming at a nearby wall with a trap mine he had previously set, he pulled the trigger.

The impact singed Krauser's skin. "Arrrh!" He howled. Throwing his hands up, the rival disappeared in a flash of light.

Leon ran outside and wandered all around to find him.

"What's wrong, Krauser?" He called out. "Too much of a punk to come out of hiding?" He tauntingly asked with his arms raised.

Krauser made his appearance again from behind the pillar of a dark roof. "Oh, I wasn't hiding," he responded. "Just merely going over in my head the best way to kill you." Throwing a hand grenade, he let out a quick shout. Leon backflipped with one arm to jump out of the way.

"This island is going to blow. At any moment, you will insufferably cease to exist. I'd work a little faster, if I were you." Krauser leapt down from his spot and aimed a right hook at Leon. The former cop swiftly dodged out of the way. He used his hands to block another quick swipe.

In the midst of their fight, they locked arms in an attempt to secure one another.

"Why, Krauser? What's the point of all this?" In actuality, Leon was enraged and wanted to continue kicking the guy's ass, but he truly did want some answers too.

"Fighting for the sake humanity has only prolonged the onslaught of more pain and suffering. It's pointless. It's only a matter of time before the entire world falls to the spread of the virus. And when that time comes, chaos and death will take place. The strong will survive, and the weak will die— it's only then when we can start bringing supremacy and order to the world. The population will fall to my command and mine alone."

"Then I've got some bad news for you," the tired agent replied. "Wesker won't let that happen. He'll betray you, just like he did everyone else. If you give him the sample, he'll just keep that type of power for himself. And kill you, too," he finished.

"Then I'll just kill him first, if the time comes."

Loosely shaking his head, Leon tightened his grip on the shoulders of his former partner. "What's the matter with you? We had a past fighting bioterrorism and injustice; righting wrongs together…" he sighed, briefly looking down. Floods of memories from two years ago flashed in his mind. "You were the best soldier on our team. Top of every class... You were assigned to the Special Operations Command to fight alongside me. We made a pact back then to stick through anything together! You're throwing all that away?"

Krauser chuckled. "Thanks for the monologue. Such a touching story. But I've made up my mind a long time ago. You, nor anyone else, can change my resolve. Now, either surrender or die where you stand."

Leon was never one to get caught up in his feelings. In fact, his bureau with the government taught him to detach any emotional ties when working. But hearing Krauser's lifeless words gnawed at his heart a little.

Firmly twisting out of his grip, Leon stepped back and raised a handgun to Krauser's head.

"Don't take it personal, Leon," his former partner spoke. "I'm just fulfilling my mission, as you are yours. Can't you see this isn't any different?"

No. This time, it _was _personal. To Leon, it was one thing to betray a comrade's trust. But to rape an unconscious girl and leave her to suffer was where it was crossing the line.

"Go to hell," Leon scorned. He took the shot.

The shredded combatant hardly felt a thing as he blocked the bullet with his left forearm, producing a clanging sound. Soon, his entire left upper body ripped into multiple pieces, forming into a giant, bladed mass of muscle. He lunged in Leon's direction with the newly developed arm in a fit of madness.

Leon circled around him and kneeled, switching guns out for his magnum to shoot at his back. As he shot at it, the region of the swelled area tore open even more.

Krauser recovered and did a single 360, swinging his arm around like a helicopter blade. He nearly missed Leon's throat.

"Even if you save the princess, it'll be too late," Krauser shouted. "You'll both turn out just like those screaming psychos out there, ready to give America a warm welcome." He fanned his bladed arm around, stretching and convulsing it out to try and slice Leon.

"I'm still gonna try," Leon retorts. He was eventually able to gain the upper hand after tossing a grenade, prompting Krauser's fall. Leon performed a final stab into his rival's back, cutting through to his heart. Krauser roughly choked on his blood and closed his eyes.

"And you're not about to stop me. So long."

* * *

Leon escapes and jumps out of the exploding area just in time, leaving his nemesis behind. He walks out into a bleak warzone, with armed and shielded zombies coming at him from left and right. He was strategic with his approach, executing the infected soldiers who stood behind gatling guns first. His actions were deliberate and tactful, and soon the aggressors' numbers slowly dwindled down to none. He pressed a switch to allow a large metal gate to open. He walked through to the next zone.

Soon enough, the special agent came across Ashley again, semiconscious and standing in a vertical tube.

"Ashley!"

She couldn't hear him.

Footsteps came from behind. "Oh, it seems that you've arrived to the party a little too late," a deep and ridiculing voice teased. Saddler revealed himself.

"Saddler!" Leon shouted. "It's over! You have nowhere to go!"

Shifting forward, the Los Illuminados leader slammed a palmed hand into Leon's stomach, sending him flying back.

Leon hacked violently to try to regain his breath.

Suddenly a streamline of bullets rapidly sounded from the level above. Ada continued shooting at Saddler in an attempt to slow him down. "Leon, now!"

Nodding, Leon rose up and released Ashley from her confines by hitting a large button. She hardly stayed awake and stumbled across the room as he pulled her out the back.

As they ran, Leon became preoccupied with several thoughts. This was the third time Ada came to bail him out from a difficult situation. The more he doubted her, the more she proved his theories wrong by saving his ass.

'I'm starting to look like a damsel in distress.' He inwardly scoffed at himself. His self-consciousness mildy ate at him.

Coming into another room, the duo looked around to see setup of computer desks with compiled blueprints, x-rays, and documents. Surrounded by the area was a single armchair. It had computer monitors and large pointed rods facing inward.

"Let's see if this thing works," Leon said.

"If you're sure," she replied hesitantly. She put her hand on the lever of a device.

"It's our only shot. Go for it."

She pulled the lever down and listened to the gradual humming of the machine starting up. A wave of plasma shot into Leon's chest. He grunted loudly and twitched in discomfort. She concernedly stared at him.

'Please be alright,' she wished for him.

The pain surged through his being like an electric shock. It felt as if he were getting stabbed all over. He gritted his teeth in a grimace as his veins popped from beneath his skin. He exhaled after it was over.

Ashley, with a look of distrust, switched places onto the chair. Leon looked at her with pity.

If the laser was that powerful to disintegrate a near-adult parasite— an entire living being— then there was definitely no way the fetus growing inside Ashley's body would survive. It didn't take a doctor to know that.

"Wait," he insisted, reaching out to her. There was quite literally a seed of human life rooted inside of her. Was he really just about to kill it off without a second thought?

"I need to tell you something. It's important."

"What is it?"

There was an internal battle going on inside Leon's mind. Should he tell her of the unborn child, and persuade her to find a safer way to remove the parasite? Or should he just let this happen, keep quiet, and protect her heart? If she heard about this, it might traumatize her for a long time to come.

Then again… It wasn't like he faced much of a choice. Realistically, there was probably no other chance they would find a cure to remove the Las Plagas for good. And time was already working against them. The eggs already hatched long ago and were taking reside in their bodies, festering and ready to become adults at any minute. Then… game over.

"Nevermind, it's nothing. Brace yourself."

He walked over to the switch and emitted a long sigh. "If it becomes too much to handle, tell me to stop."

"Yeah," she nodded.

She was a tough girl; he gave her that much. She struggled through the same pain he endured but saw it through to the end.

"How are you holdin' up?" He asked, coming over to her.

She paused. She couldn't explain it, but she felt so refreshed and happy. Hopeful. She pulled him in for a tight hug.

"Hey, we're not out of here just yet," he commented, nudging her shoulders back.

"I know. I just…" She had a hard time formulating her words. "You don't know how much you mean to me."

Wow. He never saw that one coming. Out of all the things she could've said…

Unknowing in how to respond to her, he flashed her a confident smirk with a thumbs-up. He gestured with his head towards the exit door.

The duo sped off to their next destination, running through a series of short caves. Feeling refreshed and better than ever, it was like a draining weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

Leon knew Saddler was close, and that he was close to the end. Stocking up on a couple of items, he prepared himself for a final climactic battle.

After more running, they came across an elevator that led all the way up to the top of a construction lift. He told Ashley to stay behind, and followed his instinct to go up.

This was it.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ada!"

Leon discovered the dress-clad woman hanging tied up in the air. He threw his knife with perfect aim to cut her down.

His focus turned to Osmund Saddler, who was slowly deviating further from a human state. With low grunts, the Los Illuminados authoritarian shed himself of his robes, now sprouting several massive spider-like legs. The giant monster stomped towards him with newly-formed blades and blood-shot auburn eyes.

Leon pulled out his most powerful semi-auto rifle and precisely shot at each of the exposed eyes. He shot the joints of Saddler's legs down until the monster buckled from beneath itself. Jumping onto the primary eye, Leon pulled out his spare knife and stabbed it down.

The monster roared out into the air; it was getting impatient. Knocking pillars over and whatever else was in its way, Saddler stomped around into multiple barriers, hurling them in Leon's path.

Leon was resourceful and made good use of his surroundings. He used whatever method he could to take the tyrant down.

A rocket launcher was suddenly thrown in his direction. He caught it. Leon looked up from the gift to see Ada from afar again.

"Use this!" She ordered.

He knelt down to position the tall missile and aimed the scope in Saddler's range of sight.

'I can't miss this shot,' he worried, kneeling down.

Waiting for the right moment, Saddler's squirming head finally aligned with the crosshairs of the scope. Taking the shot, the fired missile curved slightly to collide with Saddler's face, and then eventually his entire body.

It was done. The main threat that had been tormenting Leon for days had been eliminated. Running over to the shattered corpse, he saw two vials of purple liquid that rolled out. The Las Plagas sample. He held them up in his hands. This was proof of his success. He was finally saved. Or so he thought.

He felt the muzzle of a handgun press up against his back.

"Sorry Leon, hand them over."

Rotating around to see Ada again, he slowly did as he was told.

She theatrically leapt from the edge of the site they were standing on to land inside a well-timed levitating helicopter. Clutched at her chest was a silver briefcase holding the stolen samples.

Another present from Ada, a cluster of keys, was tossed into his hand. He gripped it firmly, intensely glaring at her. What was she planning to do now?

"I don't get it," Leon called out to her, "Why would I need this? Just take us with you!"

"Sorry… No can do, lover boy; I've got my own matters to attend to," she spoke with a hint of disdain.

He shook his head at her and scoffed in dissatisfaction. "Cut it out. Don't you see things would be much easier if we just worked together? Stop the bullshit."

She paused in a brief silence, looking the opposite direction and crossing her arms. But she ignored him.

"You might want to leave this island before you're blown to pieces. Don't die," she taunted. He'd heard that phrase from her once before. With a waving motion, she flew off for good.

So this was their final goodbye…

Turning one of the plush keychains over, he saw an attached digital timer. "Shit! Only two minutes?"

How harsh.

Leon sprinted off and made his way down the elevator. "Ashley, we've gotta hurry, now!" He shouted, pulling her hand. "This island's going to blow!"

"What?!" Her eyes went wide as he dragged her along.

"No time to explain. Run!"

They found a jetski sitting next to a small dock in the caves. Leon twisted his keys in the ignition. "Hang on, sweetheart!"

She blushed at the term of endearment. Gripping his torso tightly, they sped off before being chased by a torrent of large waves.

He could see the literal light at the end of the tunnel. They've got this. They were gonna make it.

"Hold on tight!" He shouted. In the nick of time, they flew out of the exploding cave. She screamed as they jetted through the air. Landing roughly, Leon transitioned onto another wave as he resumed taking off.

"Mission accomplished, Leon!" Ashley squealed as she hugged him from behind.

"Not quite. I still have to get you home."

"You mean get _us _home."

"Yeah."

He looked back to check on her. She had a light and joyous expression on her face. He smiled. That's what he liked to see.

"I could totally use a vacation right now," she announced.

"Tell me about it."

His communicator beeped a signal as he continued to sail through the bouncing waves. He was surprised to see an incoming call as he hadn't gotten one in a while. Answering the ring, he held up the reciever to his face while using his other hand to steer. He saw his old assistant's face on the other side.

"Hunnigan? You're back."

_"Leon, we saw the explosion just now. We found your location through our satellite signal. Head to the next island on your map. The chopper's waiting for you."_

"Thanks, we'll be there soon." He signed out. "We're close, Ashley. "

"Okay."

Silence fell between them. The hum of the motor buzzed in the background.

"So, who was that woman before? Do you know her? " Ashley inquired. She bit her lip.

"Yeah. Ada Wong; she was one of the female agents I mentioned to you before."

"Who is she to you? A friend?"

He didn't know how to answer that question. He stumbled for an answer.

"I don't really know. Just a part of me that I can't let go…"

Ashley furrowed her brows in confusion. Can't 'let go'? In what way? She wanted to know more. But she kept quiet.

Leon looked down at the passing tides as they cruised along.

Leon had to admit his disappointment. Just when he thought he had Ada all figured out, she would go in and change his views about her all over again. What was her agenda? Who did she work for? Did she not work for anyone?

His head hurt with all the questions. All he knew was that he was getting played with like a toy. Bailed out by her one minute, thrown to the wolves the next. If she wanted him alive, she didn't have to unnecessarily put him though more danger. Did she think this was all part of some sick game? Whatever the case was, it was fucked up. And as long as he continued to chase her, he would stay stuck in the middle of her convoluted ploys.

The icing on top was that she now had the imposing power of the virus in her hands— she could do nearly whatever she wanted.

'I can't trust that woman,' he thought to himself. His loyalty to her was wavering.

* * *

The couple pulled into shore. A helicopter hovered over the ground, spinning its blades. They walked further in the middle of the small island to see two rows of Secret Service agents lined in a parallel path. Leon led Ashley behind him and saluted to the guards. She clutched his arm as she trailed him.

Leon came to stop in front of the chopper and saluted the Lieutenant.

"Agent Kennedy," the man nodded, "Orders to extract directly from Mr. President. Come this way." He led the two of them inside. They fastened their seats and put on headsets. The chopper lifted and took off.

After a few minutes of peaceful flying, Leon called out to the pilot.

"Hey, mind if we get two minutes of privacy back here?"

The helmeted pilot nodded and waved his fingers, switching his headset off.

Leon turned to face Ashley.

"You know, we have to address… what happened between us," he uncomfortably addressed. He brought his gloved hand up to clear his throat.

It had to be done. They had to establish where they each stood from that night. Clear things over, in a way.

"I don't regret anything, if that's what you mean," she earnestly spoke, facing him. "Um… do you?"

He thought carefully before choosing his words. He knew he stood on the thin, breakable glass of Ashley's feelings.

"It's not about whether or not I do. I don't think your dad would be too happy if he learned about us.""

"But we don't have to tell him, right?"

"I can't exactly get honored and saluted by your dad without him knowing the truth. Wouldn't sit right with me."

She pondered for a bit. She put her hands on her knees.

There was know way her father could know. It would be impossible.

"It's too risky. I can't sacrifice your job!" She declared.

"I'm prepared to handle it if that's what goes over."

She felt terrible. Imagining Leon having his identity, and essentially everything he had, taken away from him? She could hardly bear it. He had been so gracious and selfless to her. No way.

"It was my choice, Leon. I'm responsible for it, so I will bear it. Please don't mention anything to him. For me, please," she begged.

If that's what made her happy, then he would do it. Not without guilt, of course.

"Alright; it'll be our secret."

She kissed his cheek. Uh-oh. That was something they couldn't publicly do.

"But we should be careful of how we display ourselves around each other, alright?" He asked. Now that the Plagas was out, he knew _he _didn't have anything to worry about self-control— he was mostly speaking for her sake.

"Hm. Alright," she agreed. "I never asked you before, and I feel like it would be unfair to ask how you feel about me now, but… Do you think we could continue things sometime? From where we left off?"

He was glad to be spared of the feelings question. But he did have a logical answer for her other requests that would satisfy them both.

"Tell you this. Why don't we take things slow? See how everything goes."

She rejoiced.

"Yes!"

Never in a million years did she think Leon would even remotely accept her advances. She was just happy to hear that he would be with her again. To think that he would actually take a chance on her seemed out of this world.

"That sounds awesome, Leon. I'd like that."

Leon felt a genuine intention behind his words. There was no obligation behind them. The only obligation he felt was to see that she gets to a hospital— pronto. Then, he could truly relax knowing everything was going to be alright.

He leaned his head back onto the metal panel. He rested his eyes, reflecting on a job well done. Mission success.

The helicopter zoomed off through the horizon and vanished into the distance.

~End~

Author's note: Resident Evil 4 is one of the best video games of all time. Its beautiful atmosphere, action, and storyline all came together into one grand masterpiece. That being said, the ending cutscene of the game didn't click for me. In fact, it didn't work at all. Ashley's line about "overtime" was just cringy, weird, and out of place considering that she and Leon hardly had any close interactions throughout the game. A lot of people interpreted her flirtation as a sexual one. Therefore, I believe that bit of dialogue should have been omitted completely since their relationship never took a romantic route. Speaking of that, I wanted to shed some light on what a possibility between them would look like. I hope you liked my story. Thanks.


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